I'm going to mom you right now and ask you if you're eating enough vegetables. Do you see my raised eyebrow? That's me not believing your answer. Shame on you for lying to Sugar Mama!

My style of mom-ing is of the persuasive persuasion, so rather than force feed you the information, I'm going to appeal to your vanity. Here are three reasons you should be eating more veggies, as well as a few suggested servings for getting your greens.

1: Veggies Make You Beautiful

People always ask me... they say, "Sugar, how the heck do you stay so damn beautiful?" And before I can answer, I wake up. If I were to stay asleep and answer my dream fans' questions, I would have to tell them that it's two things: Drinking lots of water and eating plenty of leafy greens and veggies.

That healthy glow on your face is simply evidence of how healthy you are on the inside. That's not to say that you should toss out your moisturizers and masques. But you can help nature along by eating a diet rich in vegetables. Cartenoids, a type of phytonutrient, can be found in vegetables like carrots, pumpkins, squash and green leafy vegetables. Those Cartenoids create the "glow" on your skin that makeup can never quite duplicate.

2: Veggies Will Get You to Your Goal Weight

The number one mistake I see people make (and I'm guilty of this, too) is eating too many fruits when looking to lose weight. It seems like the right thing to do, right? "Fill up on Fruits and Veggies" sounds like sound advice, and it is, but nobody tells you to limit the fruit and up the intake of the veggies.

Fruits like oranges and bananas are actually really high in fructose. Eating more than two servings of fruit can have a disastrous effect on reaching weight loss goals. Vegetables, on the other hand, are bursting with as many nutrients as fruit, but are overall lower in fructose. AND... they're high in fiber, so you'll feel full.

Speaking of...

3: Veggies are High in Fiber

Fiber is something that we all need more of, and veggies have tons of the stuff, so if you find that you're not "going" at least once a day, you may just need to up your veggie intake. In other words, they'll clean you out.

It’s said that an accumulation of five to 20 pounds of fecal matter is not uncommon in the western population. Over the years, these deposits increase and seep into the blood stream. This is when symptoms of illness arise. Think about it... if It's your body's most obvious way of removing waste and toxins, and that removal isn't happening, you're holding all that junk in your body. You're literally full of crap.

Side Note: If that nugget of wisdom doesn't get you to eat more veggies, I CAN'T HELP YOU!!!

Now for a few examples of how I add more veggies to my family's lunches.

GREEN EGGS AND HAM

Here's a fun one that kids LOVE. It's a Dr. Seuss themed meal that includes, what else, Green Eggs and Ham. The green eggs are actually quite easy to make. Just boil eggs as you would. Once they're done, take out the yokes and mix with spinach in a food processor. They yokes will pick up the green color fairly quickly. I didn't blend the ingredients too long, but a few more pulses and the spinach disappears into the eggs.

LEAFY AND SWEET GREENS

The long leaves of Romaine in this lunch do two things: They keep the savory chicken away from the sweet muffin and the soft popcorn, AND they can be used as boats to eat the chicken pieces with when it's lunch time.

What you don't see are the veggies packed in the GardenLites Chocolate Muffin. These muffins are a great way to satisfy that sweet craving while still getting more veggies in your tummy. They're made with fresh zucchini and carrots. Not a fan of chocolate? GardenLites also makes a tasty Blueberry Oat muffin!

BEETS AND BITES

I have a hard time paying $10 or more for lettuce and veggies, so I've taken to packing my salads when I'm on the go. It ends up costing me just a couple of dollars and I don't have to waste time looking for parking or standing in line. Packed in this salad box is a big mound of red leaf lettuce, roasted beets in Dijon Champagne dressing, carrots, and Veggie Bites from GardenLites.

About GardenLites -

Garden Lites offers foods made with clean/simple ingredients, but go a step further to deliver the nutrition consumers are seeking. As pioneers in this movement, Garden Lites is bringing solutions that meet the next stage in the ever evolving consumer definition of healthy food – delicious veggie-rich foods. They're products are not only filled with veggies, but are also gluten-free, nut-free, and dairy-free! You can find them in the freezer section at your local Costco.